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Kayaba, Sumitomo to pay millions for price-fixing in US

Kayaba Industry Co, which does business in the US as suspension parts maker KYB, and Sumitomo Electric Industries are facing payments in the millions to settle price-fixing cases about the components that they make. As part of the Department of Justice's ongoing crackdown of price fixing in the auto industry, KYB agreed to pay $62 million and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to set the cost of shock absorbers from the mid '90s through 2012. The company allegedly worked with co-conspirators to keep the cost of the parts high, and those components then made it into vehicles from Honda, Kawasaki, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota. "Any collusive agreement among competitors to restrict price competition undercuts our free enterprise system and violates the law," said Carter M. Stewart, US Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio, in the DoJ's announcement. Over the past few years, the DoJ has brought cases against 37 parts suppliers and 55 executives, leading to over $2.6 billion in fines. The investigations haven't always been so successful – some of the Japanese execs fled from the US to avoid prosecution. Critics allege that price fixing is simply how business is done. According to Automotive News, Sumitomo Electric Industries is also facing a $50 million settlement in a civil lawsuit that's related to price fixing of parts like wiring harnesses and heater control panels. The plaintiffs include owners and dealers that purchased vehicles with these parts. The company asserts that the violations are from before 2010, and it now has different process in place to avoid further violations. KYB Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $62 Million Criminal Fine for Fixing Price of Shock Absorbers Kayaba Industry Co. Ltd., dba KYB Corporation (KYB) has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $62 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix the price of shock absorbers installed in cars and motorcycles sold to U.S. consumers. According to charges filed today, KYB conspired from the mid-1990s until 2012 to fix the prices of shock absorbers sold to Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (manufacturer of Subaru vehicles), Honda Motor Co. Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Nissan Motor Company Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Company, including their subsidiaries in the United States.

2015 Subaru WRX priced from $26,295*, STI from $34,495*

As you read these words, we're putting together our full First Drive report on the 2015 Subaru WRX STI. And back in December, we were given our first shot behind the wheel of the wingless 2015 Subaru WRX. Both cars will launch at the same time, hitting dealers this spring, and Subaru has now confirmed that pricing will start at $26,295 for the standard WRX, and $34,495 for the hotter STI, with both models subject to a *$795 for destination fee.
On the WRX, that price gets you a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine good for 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. There are three trim levels available - base, Premium and Limited - the latter of which will retail for $28,495 and $29,995, respectively. Premium and Limited models are also available with a new continuously variable transmission (it isn't bad - seriously), and the two-pedal setup adds $1,200 to the sedan's bottom line. Premium models add things like heated seats and mirrors, a sunroof, foglamps and a rear spoiler. The high-zoot Limited trim adds leather seating, a power driver's seat and automatic LED headlamps.
And then there's the STI, which, at $34,495, carries the same base price as the previous model. Like the standard WRX, the STI is a sedan-only affair, but boasts extensive chassis and powertrain upgrades (stay tuned for our full drive report next week). Under the hood is a turbocharged, 2.5-liter boxer-four, producing 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of twist, mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission.

Subaru getting creative in these two very different WRX STI viral videos

Subaru is getting into viral videos with two new, radically different shorts to promote the 2015 WRX STI; both are pretty entertaining. They are certainly more interesting, from an enthusiast perspective, than the company's dog-oriented advertising campaign and sponsorship of the Puppy Bowl.
The first promotes a new grindhouse-style short film that Subaru is launching, which is cheekily called The Ride of Her Life, and it previews the full deal due on March 13. While It's just a glimpse at the moment, if Subaru really leans into the cheesy, 1970s-style, then the full video could be really enjoyable.
The second video is a new take on an idea we've seen before but is still very cool. There might be some digital trickery going on in some of the "Stick bomb" shots, but the result is still exciting. Plus, the STI's Nürburgring livery is quite attractive. Scroll down to check them both out and tell us which you prefer in Comments.